Last year, following the success of the Cruiserweight Classic Tournament, the WWE decided to host a women’s tournament known as the Mae Young Classic.
This year it is returning for its second iteration. The following list contains my picks of 16 wrestlers that I would like to see in the tournament this time round. I will also cast my opinion of whether they will be picked up by the WWE.
One quick caveat is that I am allowing myself to pick wrestlers from the previous year’s contest, provided they did not sign with the WWE afterwards.
Candyfloss
The pink-haired starlet has recently been wrestling for Stardom and has been featured on both Riptide and Progress’s rosters. Her saccharine stylings and bold colours would be attractive to the younger members of the WWE Universe. It could also be in her best interests with the sugar tax in the UK, meaning that her main food intake could be a scarce and costly resource, and no-one wants to resort to eating broccoli.
Meiko Satomura
She’s a former WCW Women’s Champion and the current Fight Club:Pro Champion after defeating Chris Brookes at the Dream Tag Team Invitational 2018. Her Death Valley Bomb looks like a fantastic finisher and she would provide an experienced head in the women’s division, with her career having started in 1995. A brilliant lead for the younger competitors in the tournament, and having her face Asuka on the main roster when the tournament is over seems too good to resist.
Sierra Loxton
Billed as from the Other Side of your Mind. she has the most amazing. high velocity hip attacks. The Freaky Princess has a character that is remarkably unique, and as such is unlike most characters shown on WWE programming. Not very experienced but still worth giving her the exposure. She would be refreshingly different to anything currently within the WWE Universe.
Toni Storm
In a way the Progress Women’s Champion is similar to Sierra Loxton, in that she has a fantastic hip attack. She’s still young so has plenty of years ahead of her in the wrestling game. She got to the semi-finals last time, losing to eventual winner Kairi Sane, so there’s nothing stopping her win this time out. I fully expect her to hit the Strong Zero to claim the win, and get the rewards that the tournament win would bring.
Jessicka Havok
She has experience from CZW, and that hardcore style experience shows in her match against Su Yung from Battle club. She has also wrestled for Impact Wrestling having been their Knockout’s Champion. She has also held the WSU Championship twice and is the current AAW Women’s champion.
Nevaeh
The tag-team partner of Jessicka Havok’s, she has wrestled for Shimmer, CZW and Rockstar Pro. She’s also the CLASH Women’s champion. She’s been wrestling since 2005 and brings a lot of experience to the table. Further to this, the WWE love a tournament with a ‘friends against one another’ match. They used this most famously for Gargano and Ciampa’s feud, so I expect this style of match to be re-visited.
Rachael Evers/Ellering
She has ties with her father working for WWE, and has worked in Shimmer and Stardom wrestling. She also performed in the Mae Young Classic last year and that’s the last time she was seen on WWE Programming. I’m aware it’s a bit of a tired storyline, but she could have her dad manage her now he’s not with the Authors of Pain. I wouldn’t want the WWE to do so, but it could be a route they go down. I firmly predict that the WWE will keep her on after the tournament is over.
Chelsea Green
A former contestant on Tough Enough in 2015, she has also wrestled for Impact Wrestling and appears on the upcoming season of Lucha Underground. She is the former Impact Women’s Knockouts champion. Her finisher is a curb stomp, not unlike Seth Rollins’ finishing move, and due to her height, she has levels of reach that Alexa Bliss can’t even dream of. I can see her being used for the tournament but not being signed.
Tessa Blanchard
She was in the tournament but lost in the first round last year. She comes from a rich lineage of wrestlers (Her father was Tully Blanchard and step-father was Magnum TA), she has worked for Shimmer and Stardom, as well as Impact and Lucha Underground. I feel that the WWE will be very keen on having her back and seeing if they can prise her away from Impact. Due to her relationship, there would be great promise in her and Ricochet facing off against Candice Le Rae and Johnny Gargano in a mixed tag-team match. Alas, she has recently signed for Impact! but she could easily make a cameo appearance for one or two rounds.
Deonna Purazzo
A back-up for the first iteration, so clearly WWE have been interested in her. Her resume includes working with Women of Honor. She is a former ECWA Women’s Title holder, master technician and a Fujiwara arm-bar specialist.
Kris Wolf
She is a woman who is massively involved in Stardom, and could potentially bring a japanese fan-base, despite not being Japanese herself. I can see the WWE being interested in her for the hard-hitting ‘strong-style’ wrestling that the Japanese-based wrestlers favour.
Shazza McKenzie
She is a former Heart of Shimmer champion and the reigning PWWA 2-time champion. She has wrestled mostly in Australia but could easily work in a program either with or against her compatriot Toni Storm.
Cheerleader Melissa
Currently working under a mask as Mariposa in Lucha Underground. She’s also been a competitor for TNA, and is a 2-time Shimmer champion. With 18 years’ experience, she has a lot she can bring to the table in terms of in-ring acumen, and anyone would be lucky to share the ring with her.
Misaki Ohata
Most of her titles have been in tag team wrestling, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be a great singles wrestler. She’s currently the Regina di WAVE (Wave Singles Champion) and a former Shimmer Tag Team Champion. In her armoury she has the strong striking that you’d expect from a Japanese wrestler, but she also brings good technical skills too. I can see her adding a lot of value to the tournament, whether or not the WWE take her on after that would be yet to be seen.
Mercedes Martinez
She was in the tournament last year, she was in the tournament last year but since then hasn’t been seen on WWE since. Amazing spinebuster, and her finishing move is a Fisherman Buster. Another experienced head who could progress far in the tournament and get strong matches against anyone.
Viper/Piper Niven
An alumnus of many different promotions, having wrestled for Pro Wrestling Eve, ICW (Scotland) and Stardom to name just three. She is a powerful wrestler who has the skills to dominate her foes. She lost to Toni Storm in the quarter-finals of last year’s competition, so she clearly has the ability to get towards the latter stages, and this year I want her to get further and maybe get a contract to boot.